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Critical Reflection

Call for Applications «Multiply Perspectives»

© Martin Heynen

Application deadline: 1 March 2022

Applications must be submitted via myprohelvetia

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With its call for applications «Multiply Perspectives», the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia aims to support projects that seek innovative ways of thinking critically about art and culture and about their function in society as part of our thematic focus on «Critical Reflection». Funded projects should stimulate opinion-forming, multiple perspectives and critical discussion on the role of art and culture in society.

How can less prominent voices in the arts and culture make themselves heard? How can artists and cultural practitioners render the production of and critical reflection on new artistic formats more visible? And how can socio-political contributions within art and culture enter public discussion?

The call for applications «Multiply Perspectives» is aimed at artists and cultural practitioners (artists and curators, cultural researchers and cultural critics) who:

  • Reflect on art and culture from a specific geographical, economic, social, gender or cultural perspective.

And/or:

  • Critically engage with the production of and reflection on new artistic formats.

One-off project contributions of max. CHF 25,000.00 will be awarded. Funding may be used to cover all costs necessary for project implementation (fees, administrative and management costs for project support and overheads, targeted communication measures, etc.). No funding is available for infrastructure, equipment, operating and maintenance costs.  

Requirements

Priority will be given to projects implemented by two or more persons or by networks and collectives representing multi-perspective approaches and diverse artistic perspectives. The Arts Council also welcomes projects situated at the interface between artistic and non-artistic disciplines.

Funding is available for analog, digital or hybrid formats (for example, a podcast involving a live presentation or an analog networking format resulting in a digital format). 

To be eligible for funding, projects must
  • have a connection with Switzerland;
  • pursue and have a clear impact;
  • not be part of a school curriculum, nor of a training or further education programme.
The jury will assess whether projects
  • adopt a convincing multi-perspective approach;
  • are readily understandable and structured to meet the needs of their intended target group(s) and to achieve their envisaged impact;
  • have the capacity to promote participation, exchange and criticism, i.e. to stimulate opinion-forming and critical discussion on art and culture in society;
  • initiate debate at the interface of artistic and social issues in new ways;
  • are able to persuade their target group(s) to independently engage with contemporary art and cultural forms.
Types of projects ineligible for funding
  • Projects aimed at the creation or performance of artistic work
  • Journalistic research and reportages (leading to print or digital publications)
  • PR projects

Application deadline and decision timeline

The call for applications will run from 3 January 2022 to 1 March 2022. Applications must be submitted via myprohelvetia.ch. No funding will be awarded retrospectively. Projects may be presented to the public no earlier than four months after the submission deadline (1 March 2022). Applications will be assessed by a jury. Funding decisions will be communicated within four months of the submission deadline (1 March 2022).

Funding decisions: within four months of the submission deadline (1 March 2022)

Application dossiers must contain

  • Concept describing project contents, form and implementation, including details of the applicants’ network and target audience (max. 5 A4 pages and/or an interactive format, e.g. video, audio)
    Note: Project proposals must be complete at the time of submission and all project members must be listed.
  • Details of project members (CV, incl. description of roles and responsiblities in the project).
  • Budget and financing plan (with details on all financial supportsought from third parties), including details of the amount of funding requested from Pro Helvetia. Projects will be granted a maximum of CHF 25’000.00. Note that Pro Helvetia funding may not exceed 50% of the total budget.
  • Project schedule
  • Additional documents (e.g. details on successfully implemented projects, media reviews, etc.)
  • If envisaged, details on international cooperation.

Submission deadline: 1 March 2022 via, www.myprohelvetia.ch

Glossary of keywords

Innovation (innovation paths): Innovation refers to the development of new forms of expression and focuses on collaboration between different disciplines. To be innovative, projects need to introduce and apply previously unknown ideas, methods and processes and be forward-looking.

Multi-perspectivity: Multi-perspectivity means an engagement with art and culture that takes into account different individual and collective perspectives and artistic formats.


[Illustration: © Martin Heynen]